Wednesday, March 11, 2009

LEMON BUTTERMILK TART

Anything citrusy or tart drives my tastebuds crazy! I really like the tingling sensation that tangy and lemony-/grapefruitty-/orangy-tasting food provides...

So, it is no wonder if I am the kind of person who could kill (well, maybe not exactly) for a mouth-watering slice of "Lemon Tart", one of my all-time favorite desserts.

At first, I wanted to make "Lemon Curd Tartlets", but since I had a lonely and soon-to-be expired carton of buttermilk in fridge, the idea of whipping up "Chess Pie" (a Southern US - Dixie - dessert speciality) soon sprung into my mind. But, I had to make a compromise because I still craved the paletable flavor of freeshly grated lemon zest. So I looked for a recipe that would combine both buttermilk and lemon. That's how I stumbled upon Emeril Lagasse's "Lemon Buttermilk Tart" recipe on Food Network...

As usual, I decided to adapt it slightly by replacing the Meyer lemons by ordinary ones and by using my own shortcrust pastry recipe instead of the one Emeril Lagasse proposed. the result was amazing!This perfect "Lemon Buttermilk Tart" recipe is very easy to bake and is so good. The filling is really luscious and one would not think that it's made with buttermilk...

This heavenly tart isn't too sweet nor extremely sour, yet it has a very pleasant lemony aroma and a well-balanced acidity level which combine perfectly well with the buttery and slightly salty flavors of the pâte brisée (shortcrust pastry). The texture of the filling is creamy, light and delicate, and it contrasts perfectly with that of the crust which is delightfully flaky. Perfect in all senses!

An ambrosial dessert which will send ripples of joy throughout your entire body. Each forkful is pure bliss!~ Lemon Buttermilk Tart ~The "Lemon Filling" was adapted from Emeril Lagasse's recipe, courtesy of Food Network and the "Shortcrust Pastry" recipe is by Rosa's Yummy Yums 2009.

Method:1. Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F).2. On a lighly floured surface roll the pie dough to an 28cm (11-inch) circle.3. Transfer to a greased 25cm (10-inch) tart pan with a removable bottom (optional) and press the dough against the sides, and then prick the base of the dough.4. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.5. Line the shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights.6. Bake for 10 minutes.7. Remove the paper and weights, and bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.8. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack before filling.9. Reduce the oven temperature to 160° C (325° F).10. To prepare the filling, whisk the buttermilk, sugar, eggs, lemon juice, flour, lemon peel in a medium bowl.11. Pour into the cooled crust and bake until the filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes (see remarks).12. Cool completely then cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours.

Remarks:For the pie dough, I used only 250g flour, 25g lard (pork fat), 100g butter, 1 Tsp salt, 2 Tbs sugar and enough water in order to obtain a ball of dough.You can replace the lemon by lime, Meyer lemon, grapefruit or orange (juice and zest).Don't overbake (step 11), otherwise the filling will crack.If you are using smaller pans, then bake your tarts less than 20-21 minutes (see step 11).

Serving suggestions:Slice the tart and place on dessert plates.Decorate with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on the side and garnish with powdered sugar or grated coconut.